CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Taking one step at a time three Alice firefighters went up the Tower of Americas as they represented a firefighter who tragically lost their life in the 9/11 terroristic attacks.
Firefighters Robert Valdez, Joseph Champine, and Kevin Figueroa traveled to San Antonio to participate in the 2023 San Antonio 110 9/11 memorial climb. Several years ago, Valdez initiated firefighters from his community to partake in the climb as a tribute to the men and women he saw on TV as he sat in his high school class.
In full gear, the firefighters climbed 110 fights of stairs to mimic the first responders who didn’t think twice as they ran towards the Twin Towers to rescue their fellow man.
Valdez represented firefighter Joseph Maffeo of Ladder 101, Champine represented firefighter Robert Parro of Engine 8, and Figueroa was representing firefighter John Chipura of Engine 219. The Alice men hung the badge with the fallen firefighters' picture, name, and department with pride.
American history was changed forever 22 years ago when four American airplanes were hijacked. Two of those aircraft crashed into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the last one crashed into a field in Storycreek Township, Pennsylvania, near Shanksville.
In total 2,977 victims were killed that day.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
